Hair waving device with heater mounted between bristles



March 16, 1965 K. T. PosTr-:L

HAIR WAVING DEVICE WITH HEATER MOUNTED BETWEEN BRISTLES Filed Dec. 27, 1961 Fli FIG FIGB ISC Gttorney United States Patent O 3,173,428 HAIR WAVING DEVICE WITH HEATER MOUNTED BETWEEN BRISTLES Karl T. Postel, 21 S. Walnut St., Akron, Ohio Filed Dec. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 162,360 4 Claims. (Cl. 132-9) This invention relates to a device for curling hair.

Heretofore various devices provided for Waving hair have generally employed some means by which strands of hair were clamped against a heating element or otherwise confined for considerable periods of time, such as by Winding the hair around a curling iron. Such devices were objectionable because of the danger of scorching the hair. Curlers and rollers which required use of special iiuids were objectionable because the necessary curling procedure was messy and time consuming.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair curling device, by which the hair may be curled in dry condition; and by which the varying curl patterns may be achieved by simple variations in the operation of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curling device of the character described including interchangeable parts for accomplishing varying wave effects or sizes of curls.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a hair curling device embodying the features of the invention, including a hair-curling sheath removably mounted on a cylindrical heating element of the same.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device, substantially as shown in FIGURE 1, but with certain removable parts omitted.

FIGURE 4 is a crossesection taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4a is an end elevation, as viewed from the left of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of an interchangeably removable hair curling sheath, apart from the device of FIGURES 1 and 4.

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 5, illustrating a different form of interchangeable hair curling sheath.

FIGURES 7 and 8 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating hair-curling sheaths of other cross-sectional shapes.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view similar to FIGURES 5 and 6, illustrating a tubular sheath for rotatable reception on the cylindrical heating element.

Referring particularly to FIGURES l to 5, the numeral 10 designates a rigid backing member including an elongated outer part 11, and an inner part 12 longitudinally slidably mounted on part 11 to be readily removable from the same. The outer or relatively fixed supporting part 11 may have a handle extension 13 on one end, and an inward protrusion 14 has a cylindrical electrical heating element 15 aiiixed to the same to extend longitudinally in parallelism to the supporting part 11. The element 15 is heated by connection to a source of electrical current (not shown), through suitable wiring 16, and the amount of heat may be automatically controlled or limited by means of a thermostat 17 affixed on part 11 in close proximity to element 15.

A slitted tube-like curl-forming sheath 19, of springy metal or other heat conducting material, is slidably received on the cylindrical element 15, and is retained ICC thereon as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, by an apertured guide element 20 on the slidable part 12, through which a free end of element 15 extends at 15a (see FIGURES l, 2, 4 and 4a). Sheath 19 is held against relative rotation on the element 15 by yielding contraction of the sheath about the element. The sheath is generally smooth surfaced, and may have formed thereon an elongated hollow, curl-forming edge 24 of reduced, smoothly rounded cross-section to be presented outwardly of the element 15. Different sheaths may be provided with elongated edges 24 of different sizes and shapes, to be interchangeable with the sheath 19, and with each other, on element 1S to attain varying haircurling effects. FIGURE 6 shows one such interchangeable sheath 19a having a reduced, elongated edge 24a which is provided with smoothly rounded connecting undulations 24d, 24d, for self-operatingly breaking up or dividing large bunches of hair strands of hair into longitudinally spaced smaller bunches of hair strands (not shown), in a manner to be described later. FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate sheaths 19b and 19C, similar to sheath 19 of FIGURE 5, but having elongated, curl-forming edges 24]) and 24C, respectively, of modified shapes.

Axcd on the slidable inner part 12, to extend along each side of the heating element 15 and sheath 19, may be a longitudinally extending series of closely spaced tufts 26, 26 composed of elongated flexible bristles or fibers 27, 27. The bristles of each tuft 26 converge inwardly of the point of attachment thereof to part 12, so that hairs may be frictionally engaged between converging iibers, and the tuft fibers may be of varying lengths to facilitate initial yielding reception of hairs between the convergent fibers.

In use of the improved curling device as best shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 4, a relatively small strand of hair on the upper portion of the head is supported upright away from the head. The device, While held by its handle 13, is now positioned inwardly behind the upright strand, thereby to engage individual hairs inwardly between the tuft fibers at opposite sides of heating element 15, and to bend or conform the strand or the hairs thereof about the reduced edge 24 of sheath 19, as shown in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 4, the sheath being heated by element 15. While the resilient frictional or wedging gripping action of the bristles upon the hairs is utilized to maintain the hairs tightly conformed to the rounded edge 24 of the heated sheath, the device is slowly moved with a combined forward and up and back action, by which the hairs are firmly drawn back and forth across the curl-forming edge 24. This motion is repeated as often as necessary until the desired curl or wavy effect is attained. Other strands of hair are likewise treated until the requisite curl pattern is accomplished to satisfaction, either by varying back and forth movements of the device with respect to the hair strands, or by interchanging with sheaths 19a, 19b or 19e of different shapes and sizes. For waving hair on the sides of the head, the same movements are employed, except that the hair is drawn backwardly and forwardly with partial rotational motion of the device. Generally speaking, the curl or wave pattern will form or follow the direction in which the hair is brushed. The bristles 27 of the tufts 26 provide the necessary tension in the hairs being brushed to maintain them in close conformity over the curl-forming portion of the heated sheath 19. Because brush bristles 26 are by nature generally of heat insulating material they serve as a guard means about the heating element 15 and sheath 19 to prevent burning the fingers of the operator of the device, or the scalp of the subject of the hair curling operation.

FIGURE 9 shows a tubular sleeve 24e of metal or other suitable heat conductive material, adapted tobe rotatably retained on the heating element 15, by the guide element 20. Upon use of the device as described above, to curl hair the sleeve 24e will be freely rotated on theheating element to maintain the sleeve at a substantially uniform temperature.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for waving human hair, comprising: an elongated rigid backing member having a handle thereon; an elongated heating element joined to said backing member at one end and extending in spaced parallelism to the backing member; a heat-conductive sheath frictionally and removably mounted on said heating element, said sheath having anfelongated edge portion spaced outwardly from said heating element and presented at the opposite side from said rigid backing elements; and tufts of closely spaced bristles mounted on said backing member and extending along and past both sides of said heating element,

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, said elongated edge portion of the sheath being hollow and of transversely reduced cross-section.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, said elongated edge portion of the sheath being hollow and formed with longitudinally arranged, smoothly rounded undulations for dividing bunches of hair strands into smaller bunches thereof.

4. A device as set forth in claim l, said elongated edge portion of the sheath being hollow and formed with longitudinally arranged, smoothly rounded undulations for dividing bunches of hair strands into smaller bunches thereof, said elongated edge portion being of transversely reduced cross section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,431,241 10/22 Lee 132-124 X 1,663,468 3/28 Vaughn 132-124 1,861,040 5/32 Williams 132-118 RICHARD A. GAUDT, Primary Exmnner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiners. 

1. A DEVICE FOR WAVING HUMAN HAIR, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED RIGID BACKING MEMBER HAVING A HANDLE THEREON; AN ELONGATED HEATING ELEMENT JOINED TO SAID BACKING MEMBER AT ONE END AND EXTENDING IN SPACED PARALLELISM TO THE BACKING MEMBER; A HEAT-CONDUCTIVE SHEATH FRICTIONALLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HEATING ELEMENT, SAID SHEATH HAVING AN ELONGATED EDGE PORTION SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID HEATING ELEMENT AND PRESENTED AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE FROM SAID RIGID BACKING ELEMENTS; AND TUFTS OF CLOSELY SPACED BRISTLES MOUNTED ON SAID BACKING MEMBER AND EXTENDING ALONG AND PAST BOTH SIDES OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT. 